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At what age do babies say Mama?

How old were your little ones when they first said Mama?
When Cadi is in her exersaucer, and I walk into the room, she will reach for me and say "Mamamama", but I don't know if she is saying Mama and recognizing me as having the name "mama" or if she is just making sounds.

Also, we like to bounce her on our knees and say "Bouncy bouncy bouncy baby!" and for the last couple of days she has been making the bouncing motion herself, like she is trying to get us to bounce her and then she says "Buh! Buh!" and smiles when we start bouncing. If we stop, she does the bouncing motion again and says "Buh! Buh!" until we bounce her again.

Re: At what age do babies say Mama?

My daughter "talked " early - about 6 months, mama, dada, bye. 1st son was slow to talk, about 1 yr., 3rd son was about 8-10 mths. None of them have shut up since at 37,41, & 43. Daughter was using 4 word sentences by 1-1/2 yrs. Really. The boys were closer to 2 yrs. Each child is different, not like cousins, friends, siblings. Babies don't know about when they are "suppose" to do things. Always keep in touch with the pediatrician if you think the little sweetie is different, too fast, or too slow.

Re: At what age do babies say Mama?

Don't worry we spend all of there little life trying to get them to walk and talk and then the rest of there life trying to get them to sit down and hush LOL. Mine were between the ages of 4 to 6 months my boys were 6 months and my girl was 4 months. My oldest son's first word was bubba that's what we have always called him. My daughter I always called her little momma and I guess that is why she said it first.

Re: At what age do babies say Mama?

Talking
As your baby makes mental, emotional, and behavioral leaps, he'll gradually learn to use words to describe what he sees, hears, feels, and thinks. Researchers now know that long before a baby utters his first word, he's learning the rules of language and how adults use it to communicate.

When it develops
Your baby will learn to talk during his first two years of life. He'll begin by using his tongue, lips, palate, and any emerging teeth to make sounds ("ooh"s and "ahh"s in the first month or two, babbling shortly thereafter). Soon those sounds will become real words ("mama" and "dada" may slip out and bring tears to your eyes as early as 4 to 5 months). From then on, your baby will pick up more words from you and everyone else around him. And between ages 1 and 2, he'll begin to form two- to three-word sentences.

How it develops
Your child's wail at birth is his first foray into the world of language. He's expressing the shock at being out of the confines of the womb and in a new and unfamiliar place. From then on, he's absorbing sounds, tones, and words that will later shape the way he speaks.

Talking is inextricably linked to hearing. By listening to others speak, your baby learns what words sound like and how sentences are structured. In fact, many researchers believe the work of understanding language begins while a baby is in utero. Just as your unborn baby got used to the steady beat of your heart, he tuned into the sound of your voice. Just days after birth, he was able to discern your voice among others.

1 to 3 months
Crying is your baby's first form of communication. A piercing scream may mean he's hungry, while a whimpering, staccato cry may signal that he needs a diaper change. As he gets older, he'll develop a delightful repertoire of gurgles, sighs, and coos. As for his ability to understand language, linguists say babies as young as 4 weeks can distinguish between similar syllables, such as "ma" and "na."

4 to 6 months
At this stage, your child will start to babble, combining consonants and vowels (such as "baba" or "yaya"). The first "mama" or "dada" may slip out now and then, and though it's sure to melt your heart, your baby doesn't quite yet equate those words with you. That comes later, when he's almost a year old.

Your baby's attempts at talking will sound like stream of consciousness monologues in another language, with endless words strung together. Vocalization is a game to your baby, who is experimenting with using his tongue, teeth, palate, and vocal chords to make all sorts of funny noises. At this stage, babbling sounds the same, whether you speak English, French, or Japanese in your home. You may notice your child favoring certain sounds ("ka" or "da," for example), repeating them over and over because he likes the way they sound and how his mouth feels when he says them.

6 to 12 months
When he babbles and vocalizes now, your baby will sound as if he's making sense. That's because he's using tones and patterns similar to the ones you use. Foster his babbling by talking to him and reading to him.

12 to 17 months
Now he's using one or more words, and he knows what they mean. He'll even practice inflection, raising his tone when asking a question, saying "Up-py?" when he wants to be carried, for example. He's realizing the importance of language as he taps into the power of communicating his needs.

18 to 24 months
Though he probably says about 50 to 70 words now, your child may understand as many as 200 words, many of which are nouns. Between 18 and 20 months, he'll learn words at the rate of 10 or more a day (so watch your language!). He'll even string two words together now, making basic sentences such as "Carry me." By the time he's 2, your child will use three-word sentences and sing simple tunes. His sense of self will mature, and he'll start talking about what he likes and doesn't like, what he thinks and feels. Pronouns may confuse him, which is why he might say "Baby throw" instead of "I throw."

25 to 36 months
Your toddler may struggle for a while to find the appropriate volume to use when talking, but he'll learn soon enough. He's also starting to get the hang of pronouns, such as " I," "me," and "you." Between ages 2 and 3, your child's vocabulary will increase to up to 300 words. He'll string nouns and verbs together to form complete, simple sentences, such as "I go now."

By the time he turns 3, your child will be a pretty sophisticated talker. He'll be able to carry on a sustained conversation and adjust his tone, speech patterns, and vocabulary to his conversation partner. For instance, he'll use simpler words with a peer, but be more verbal with you. By now he may be almost completely intelligible. He'll even be a pro at saying his name and age, and will readily oblige when asked.

What comes next
As your child grows, he'll become more of a chatterbox. You'll scarcely remember the time when he hardly spoke at all, and you'll enjoy hearing about what projects he did at preschool, what his friend had for lunch, and what he thinks about Cinderella's wicked stepmom and anything else that occupies his mind. He'll also start to tackle the more complicated skill of writing. Then, when school starts, he'll tackle the rudiments of language with structured lessons on grammar, punctuation, and usage.

Your role
It's simple: Talk to your child. Research shows that children whose parents spoke to them extensively when they were babies have significantly higher IQs than other children. Their vocabularies are also richer than those of kids who didn't receive much verbal stimulation. You can start as early as when you're pregnant, so your baby gets used to the sound of your voice. Speak up as you do chores around the house, or read a book aloud. You may feel a little like you're talking to yourself, but your investment will mean a lot to your baby's language development. When your baby's born, keep up a constant stream of chatter for long stretches as you diaper, feed, or bathe him. At around 5 months, you may notice him watching your mouth intently. Keep talking, and soon he'll start trying to talk back.

Although some baby talk is okay, resist the temptation to coo and babble. Your child will learn to speak well only if you teach him to do so. You don't have to avoid using complicated words. While you may need to simplify the way you talk so your child will understand what you mean, the best way for him to expand his vocabulary is to hear you using new words. The same goes for toddlers and preschoolers, whose language skills will continue to grow as long as you continue to stimulate them with conversation.

Reading is a great way to help develop your child's language skills. As a baby he'll delight in the sound of your voice, as a toddler he'll enjoy the stories and pictures, and by the time he's a preschooler he may even jump in to tell you what's going on in a book.

When to be concerned
Babies with hearing problems stop babbling at around 6 months. If your child isn't making any sounds (or even attempting to) or eye contact with you, call your pediatrician. While some kids start forming words at 9 months, many will wait until they're 13 or 14 months. If your child isn't saying any words by 15 months or you still can't understand a word he's saying, discuss the matter with your child's doctor at his 18-month checkup.

By age 3, about 50 percent of your child's language should be understandable by someone who doesn't know him. If your child continues to drop consonants (saying "ca" for "cat," for example) or substitute a sound or syllable for another (saying "waining" instead of "raining"), he may have a hearing problem or need speech therapy. Consult his doctor, who can make the best evaluation.

Toddlers sometimes stutter because they're so excited to tell you what's on their minds they can't get the words out fast enough. In most cases, this is a normal developmental phase. Allow your child to finish his sentences, and avoid jumping in to help him along. It's important to address stuttering problems early on, though, so if you're concerned that perhaps your child is beginning to stutter, discuss it with your pediatrician.

Re: At what age do babies say Mama?

Both of mine were about 5-6 months.DS said Boo and Dada before he said anything, DD said Bubba and no first. DD definitely knew what she was saying, Jason was agravating her the first time she said it.

Re: At what age do babies say Mama?

My 2 year old DD was just a few seconds old when she said it.. hehe its funny. As soon as she was born, they were getting ready to cut the cord and she said MOOOOOOOOOM! MOOOOOOOOOMM!! really loud twice. Even the dr's and everyone else in the room said it was what she said too. She still doesnt cry like a normal baby/toddler. When she wakes up she is crying, but she says "mommy, daddy!!"

Re: At what age do babies say Mama?

I don't remember how old Hayden was. I think he was around 9 months. Emmas has made a few sounds that sounded like words but we're not sure. She does look at Hayden and it sounds like she's saying Hayen though.

How's Cadi's tooth coming in? Emma had a second one come in Saturday. Talk about cranky. There's NOTHING that helps her feel better.

Re: At what age do babies say Mama?

She's working on her 2nd tooth now! Poor kid just can't catch a break. She's inconsolable most of the time right now. It makes me so sad to not be able to 'fix it'. Her 6 month check-up is tomorrow morning.